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Theo Van Gogh to Vincent Van Gogh. Paris, Saturday, 16 March 1889

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Theo Van Gogh to Vincent Van Gogh. Paris, Saturday, 16 March 1889 Theo van Gogh to Vincent van Gogh. Paris, Saturday, 16 March 1889. Saturday, 16 March 1889 Metadata Source status: Original manuscript Location: Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, inv. no. b731 V/1962 Date: Letter headed: Paris le 16 Mars 1889. On the front of the envelope, which was postmarked the 17th, Van Gogh wrote the end of letter 750 of 19 March. Additional: Original [1r:1] Paris le 16 Mars 1889 Mon cher frre, Japprends, que tu nes pas encore mieux1 ce qui me cause bien du chagrin. Je 1 Theo had received word from Salles2, as emerges from what he had written the previous day, 15 March 1889, to his sister Willemien3: I cannot tell you how sad it sometimes makes me to think of that poor Vincent. At last Ive had another letter from the Rev. Salles. Just as I had thought, his condition is the same, and not at all better. So that its now as good as decided that hell be transferred to Aix. I expected this, but now it is certain that it will be a long time before he is again completely healthy (FR b921). This letter from Salles is not known. Several days earlier, the sisters Elisabeth4 and Willemien had placed their share of the inheritance of 678.23 francs at Vincents disposal, to pay for his care. Theo wrote about this on 10 March 1889 to his brother-in-law Joan van Houten5 and his sister Anna van Houten-Van Gogh6: Thank you very much for your letters, which I received yesterday with the enclosed postal order for 678.23 francs, which amount Lies and Wil place at Vincents disposal. At the moment theres no reason to change his present treatment, which is free. He is well cared for in the municipal hospital, where nursing is provided free of charge and according to the advice both of the house physician, who is very well disposed towards Vincent and me, and of my doctor here, who treated Vincent when he was here, its best to leave him there for the time being to see whether rest and regular care can put him to rights. Should the contrary be deemed necessary, that he be admitted to a special nursing home, we must decide to what extent paid care needs to be provided. I appreciate that you would like to contribute if needed, but that probably wont be necessary. Ill deposit the money from Lies and Wil with a banker until its necessary to use it for him, but I dont think that this will be the case. As you know, Vincent gave this money to the girls and Cor7, influenced by a reproach that he had used more money for his education than the other children. I dont think that he would take it back, no matter what the circumstances, if he could judge for himself. It is, however, a reserve in case other means should prove insufficient. At the moment I have no other news from him than that which you have probably heard from Ma8 (FR b920). Cf. also letter 490, n. 14 and letter 506, n. 21. 1 2 Theo van Gogh to Vincent van Gogh. Paris, Saturday, 16 March 1889. voudrais tant, que tu puisses me dire comment tu te sents car rien nest pnible que lincertitude et si tu me dirais comment cela va je pourrai plustt faire quelque[1v:2] chose pour te soulager. Tu as tant fait pour moi que je suis navr de savoir que maintenant que jaurai probablement des jours de bonheur avec ma chre Jo tu auras justement de bien mauvais jours. Elle stait faite une illusion, que puisquelle veut autant que possible vivre de ma vie, tu eusses t pour elle un frre comme tu las toujours t pour moi. Nous esprons du fond de notre coeur que tu puisses revenir une bonne sant et que tu pourras reprendre bientt tes travaux.[1v:3] En arrangeant mon nouvel appartement je revois avec tant de plaisir tes tableaux. Ils rendent les pices si gais et il y a un tel accent de vrit, de vraie campagne dans chacun. Cest bien comme tu disais quelquefois de certains tableaux dautres artistes, quils ont lair de venir comme cela directement des champs. Sil ntait pas si loin je serais certainement venu te voir, mais le temps me manque & je me demandes si ma visite pourrait ttre utile quelque chose. Dii quelque temps Signac[1r:4] doit aller dans le midi. Il ira te voir.9 Jai en ce moment chez moi une exposition de Claude Monet, qui a beaucoup de succs.11 Dii quelque temps pour sr le public voudra des tableaux de la nouvelle cole car ils travaillent bien lesprit public. Si tu pouvais tu serais bien gentil de me donner ou de me faire donner de tes nouvelles 9 Signac10 would visit Van Gogh on 23 and 24 March; see letter 752. 11 From 7 February until the end of March 1889, Theo held an exhibition at Boussod, Valadon & Cie with work by Monet12 and Rodin13, as well as pastels by Degas14, at the branch at 19 boulevard Montmartre. Ten paintings by Monet were on display. See Wildenstein 1996, vol. 1, pp. 249-250; vol. 4, p. 1017, cat. nos. 518, 975, 1044, 1179, 1188, 1201, 1204, 1209, 1210a, 1212. Frantz Jourdain wrote about the exhibition in exceptionally enthusiastic terms, calling it one of the most important artistic events of the winter, permanently putting Mr Claude Monet into first place among the modern landscape painters (une des plus importantes manifestations artistiques de lhiver [qui] donne dfinitivement M. Claude Monet la premire place parmi les paysagistes modernes). See Claude Monet. Exposition du Boulevard Montmartre, La Revue Indpendante 10 (March 1889), no. 29, pp. 513-518 (quotation on p. 517). Theo van Gogh to Vincent van Gogh. Paris, Saturday, 16 March 1889. 3 car part les lettres de Mrs Rey & Salles15 je ne sais rien de toi. Je te souhaite meilleur sant & je reste ton frre qui taime. Theo. Translation [1r:1] Paris, 16 March 1889 My dear brother, I learn that youre not yet better,18 which causes me much grief. I do so wish that you could tell me how you feel, for nothing is as distressing as uncertainty, and if you would tell me how things are going I can do something sooner to give you relief. Youve done so much for me that it breaks [1v:2] my heart to know that now that Ill probably have days of happiness with my dear Jo26, you will actually have very bad days. She had the illusion that, since she wants to live my life as much as possible, you would have been a brother for her as you have always been for me. We hope from the bottom of our hearts that you can return to good health and that you can soon take up your work again. [1v:3] In arranging my new apartment I see your paintings again with so much pleasure. They make the rooms so jolly, and theres such a note of truth, of real countryside in each one. Its just as you said sometimes of certain paintings by other artists, that they seem to come like that directly from the fields. I would certainly have come to see you if it wasnt so far, but Im short of time and I ask myself if my visit could be useful to you in any way. Signac27 is to go to the south [1r:4] soon. Hell go and see you.28 At the moment I have an exhibition by Claude Monet30 at my place, which is proving very successful.31 In a little while the public will certainly want paintings by the 15 Salles16s letters to Theo of 1, 2 and 18 March have been preserved (FR b1048, b1051 and b1049). He had also written to Theo shortly before 15 March (see n. 1 above). The last surviving letter from Rey17 to Theo dates from 12 February (FR b1057). For this letter, see Documentation, 12 February 1889. 18 Theo had received word from Salles19, as emerges from what he had written the previous day, 15 March 1889, to his sister Willemien20: I cannot tell you how sad it sometimes makes me to think of that poor Vincent. At last Ive had another letter from the Rev. Salles. Just as I had thought, his condition is the same, and not at all better. So that its now as good as decided that hell be transferred to Aix. I expected this, but now it is certain that it will be a long time before he is again completely healthy (FR b921). This letter from Salles is not known. Several days earlier, the sisters Elisabeth21 and Willemien had placed their share of the inheritance of 678.23 francs at Vincents disposal, to pay for his care. Theo wrote about this on 10 March 1889 to his brother-in-law Joan van Houten22 and his sister Anna van Houten-Van Gogh23: Thank you very much for your letters, which I received yesterday with the enclosed postal order for 678.23 francs, which amount Lies and Wil place at Vincents disposal. At the moment theres no reason to change his present treatment, which is free. He is well cared for in the municipal hospital, where nursing is provided free of charge and according to the advice both of the house physician, who is very well disposed towards Vincent and me, and of my doctor here, who treated Vincent when he was here, its best to leave him there for the time being to see whether rest and regular care can put him to rights.
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